Tuesday, June 12, 2012

The trial of reputed mob captain and FBI informant Mark Rossetti took an interesting twist on Monday when a witness testified about the ease with which she obtained a Massachusetts driver's license using someone else's identity.
Witness Altagracia Pimental and her heroin-dealing boyfriend lived in an apartment that was allegedly targeted by Rossetti and a co-defendant for a drug robbery in 2010. Prosecutors say Rossetti was tipped off to the presence of drugs and cash by Pimental's own cousin.
But in an interesting twist, Pimental testified through an interpreter about how easy it was for her to get a Massachusetts driver's license using someone else's birth certificate and Social Security card, documents that she testified that she obtained in Boston.
"So someone actually handed you a birth certificate of someone and a Social Security card of someone?" asked defense attorney Timothy Bradl.
"Yes," Pimental replied.
"And then you just start using them and adopting that identity? Is that how that works?" asked Bradl.
"Yes," Pimental replied.

Pimental maintained that she only used her false identity to obtain a driver's license, not other benefits like housing or an EBT card.
"And so it's true that your very identity was a lie for 10 years, correct?" asked Bradl.
"Yes," Pimental replied.
Pimental is charged with forgery of a Registry of Motor Vehicles document, as well as heroin trafficking.
Under cross-examination, defense lawyers tried to discredit her, saying she's testifying for the prosecution as part of a deal to get a shorter prison sentence.The RMV wouldn't comment on her case but says people should take care to protect their personal information. Rossetti's trial resumes Tuesday, when secretly recorded conversations of Rossetti are expected to be played to the jury.